Interstate 78 Travel Lanes Restored For Winter

TRENTON – NJDOT officials today announced that all available Interstate 78 travel lanes have been restored for the winter season along both directions of I-78 from west of Ramsey Avenue (milepost 53.8) in Union Township to the Route 21 interchange (milepost 56.9) in Newark.

Over the past weekend, NJDOT’s contractor, a joint-venture of Ferreira Construction and Crisdel Group, removed construction barriers and restriped the highway to provide the normal lane configuration – five lanes in each direction – within the construction limits of the Department’s ongoing $72 million project. In addition, the contractor reopened the Exit 56 ramp connections at Elizabeth Avenue.

Construction began in March 2012 with the highway being reconstructed in stages, requiring numerous traffic pattern changes and the closure of one travel lane in each direction at certain locations.

Over the winter, the contractor will continue to have shoulder and temporary single-lane closures during off-peak hours to perform sign and electrical work. In March 2013, the contractor will resume long-term lane closures on the Local lanes to allow for the completion of the full depth pavement replacement. This will be followed by final asphalt resurfacing of the entire project including bridge decks.

This is one of the busiest stretches of highway in New Jersey, with an average of 145,000 vehicles traveling it daily. The new pavement is designed to last up to 20 years. The project is scheduled to be completed in early 2014.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.